On Saturday, The Gator Nation was in Boca Raton to watch a basketball game and give back to the community.
The first annual Gator Greats Alumni Charity Basketball Game took place in the Florida Atlantic gym with all proceeds going to Youth Empowerment 4 A Better Tomorrow, BRYAA and the Udonis Haslem Children's Foundation.
Former UF forward Major Parker came up with the idea to put together the game and rallied his fellow former Gators.
"It was Major," said Teddy Dupay, who played from the Gators from 1998-2001. "He was always the ring leader of the bunch anyway. He was pretty persistent."
The former Gators guard joined Donnell Harvey, Patrick O'Connor, Eddie Shannon, Kenyan Weaks, Brent Wright and Parker on the 2000-01 team - coached by current Heat forward Udonis Haslem.
The 2006-07 squad - coached by Joakim Noah - included Adrian Moss, Anthony Roberson, Orien Green, Seth Haimovitch and Adriel Davis.
Taurean Green and Chris Richard were also in attendance, but along with Haslem and Noah, were unable to play because the event was not sanctioned by the NBA. Noah said the idea was to have the 2000 national runner-up team against the 2006 national champion team, but was glad to have all the guys together.
Next year's event is already NBA sanctioned, and Parker said to look for Mike Miller, Matt Bonner, Corey Brewer and Marreese Speights to join the rosters next season when current NBA players will be allowed to lace them up.
"It's going to grow and grow and get much better and better," Parker said.
A few hundred fans decked out in orange and blue showed up to watch the game and take part in other activities.
The players held an autograph and picture session that went for more than two hours. Haslem, Noah, Richard and Green drew lines of Gator fans that waited to have them sign items from basketballs to posters.
During the game, the staff raffled off autographed pictures of the former Gainesville standouts.
On the court, soft defense and fast-break heavy offense dominated the 35 minutes of action. Roberson led all scorers with 46 unofficial points while Shannon dumped in 34 for the old school team.
Dupay, who said he hadn't exercised in a year, showed he still has the shooting stroke that landed him the 1997-98 Florida Mr. Basketball award, dumping in eight three pointers.
A few Harvey windmill dunk attempts later, the old school team came away with a 125-114 win.
After the game, Parker presented each of the participants with a small plaque for their efforts as the crowd stood and applauded from the bleachers.
Many remember Parker for his most recent stint in Gainesville as an assistant coach under Billy Donovan from 2003-05.
The captain of the 2000 Final Four team was fired from his job after being arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover Gainesville Police Department officer. Parker would eventually plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. He was given only six months of house arrest and two and a half years of probation after he helped convict his supplier.
"It's no secret I made a mistake," Parker said. "One of the roles I try to play for these guys is to let them know what not to do off the court."
Parker says he remains close with Donovan and the program and has been working with the South Florida division of i9 Sports, a youth sports foundation, in giving back to the community.
"It's for the right cause," Noah said. "Major is like a big brother to all of us, somebody that the younger guys look up to."
